Swabs, consisting of a stick-like handle and a bud of cotton or other absorbent or porous material at one end, are of course in widespread use, particularly as applicators for medicinal, cleaning, and cosmetic liquids. A demand exists for a self-contained unit consisting of a swab prepackaged with the substance for which it is to be used, due to the convenience and sanitation benefits that are afforded thereby.
Swabs and the like in closed containers have heretofore been provided, in some instances also including a liquid substance. For example, Doherty U.S. Pat. No. 2,902,146, issued Sept. 1, 1959, provides a sterile package in which a surgical swab, contained in an interior sac, is sealed within a casing. Monaghan U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,220, issued Dec. 4, 1973, provides a unit in which a diagnostic swab and a culture medium are both contained within different sections of the same plastic tube, the two sections being separated by a frangible seal.
Swab-like implements enclosed within various forms of containers are also disclosed in Robert U.S. Pat. No. 1,146,522, issued July 13, 1915, Sheely U.S. Pat. No. 1,573,648, issued Feb. 16, 1926, Cohen U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,160, issued Dec. 29, 1964, Kalayjian U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,830, issued May 26, 1970, and Davis U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,268, issued Feb. 8, 1972. Various forms of applicators, associated with supply reservoirs, are shown in Higgins U.S. Pat. No. 1,166,761, issued Jan. 4, 1916, Schulz U.S. Pat. No. 1,221,227, issued Apr. 3, 1917, Hollister U.S. Pat. No. 1,309,201, issued July 8, 1919, Schwartzman U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,245, issued Oct. 19, 1971, Truhan U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,259, issued Sept. 18, 1973, Schwartzman U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,609, issued Nov. 27, 1973, D'Alessandro et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,151, issued Nov. 12, 1974, Bennington U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,571, issued May 25, 1976 and Snyder et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,749, issued Feb. 21, 1984.
Despite the level of activity in the art evidenced by the foregoing, a need exists for a prepackaged unit, including an enclosed swab and a substance for application, which is neat and convenient to handle and use, and relatively facile, simple and inexpensive to produce.
Accordingly, it is the broad object of the present invention to provide a novel unit, including a swab and a substance contained within a plastic sleeve, and to provide a novel sleeve and swab assembly for producing the same, which is neat and convenient to handle and use, and relatively facile, simple and inexpensive to produce.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide such a unit and assembly wherein the sleeve provides an enclosure that is secure but nevertheless readily opened by manual force, and that also provides an integral element for shielding the user's hand from the contained substance and for curbing contact of the area being treated.
Another more specific object is to provide such a unit and assembly in which the sleeve is constructed to afford a secure and natural-feeling grip, for manipulation of the assembled swab, and to show evidence of tampering.